AJK players to get chance in national camps: PHF

ISLAMABAD: Leading budding players from AJK will be included in the national hockey camps as Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) plans to popularise the game in the region.

PHF President Brig (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, who called on the AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan in Islamabad on Sunday, exchanged details of the federation’s plans to popularise the game in AJK.

Later taking to ‘The News’, Khokhar said besides other measures, some leading budding players from Azad Kashmir will be included in the national training camps.

“We want to give these players a taste of big-time hockey. There are some talented players in AJK and they will be included in the camps.”

He said the federation also planned to help AJK install blue hockey turf in Mirpur. “Rawalakot has got one turf while with the help of AJK government; one blue turf will be installed in Mirpur in the coming years. We can organise our national camps there as it would provide us better options to arrange national events also.”

Sajjad Khokhar said that the AJK prime minister promised all possible steps and coordination with PHF to popularise the game. “We want our youth to play the game. Hockey is one sport that brought numerous laurels for Pakistan and as such its popularity in AJK would be a welcoming sign,” Raja Farooq said.